


Court is in Session

by MrWartburg



Series: The Hawk-verse [3]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Mystery, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-11-23 23:03:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/627480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrWartburg/pseuds/MrWartburg
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Court of Owls have hidden in the shadows for centuries. Their methods elude even Batman and now they have targeted Dick Grayson, a.k.a Nightwing. It's up to him and his friends to stop them from carrying out their plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Family History

**Author's Note:**

> Recently I finished reading Vol. 1 of the New 52's Batman comic and the Court of Owls truly fascinated me. As such, my sequel to Strange New World will be centered on that storyline though I'll try my damnedest to fit into the YJ universe. I'd suggest reading Strange New World before (find it on my profile page) getting into this one so you can read the origin of my OC character without getting all confused in this one. Don't worry, my OC is kind of a badass, so Strange New World is worth a look. The intro paragraph plays directly off the epilogue from Strange New World. I also indirectly fit in A Good Soldier into my little OC universe. Enjoy, and please review!

 

 

 

* * *

**Washington D.C. – June 7, 2052  
Hall of Justice Memorial**

Kal returned to the car thinking his over his dad's question. His dad, the hero known as Hawkeye, had asked if he wanted to hear about his days with Red Hood and the Outlaws or if he wanted to hear the story of how Nightwing and Hawkeye had taken down the Court of Owls. To the 12 year old they both sounded awesome since they both meant more stories about his "relatives" in the Bat-family of which Kal's family were ancillary members. Having been raised within the hero community Kal knew all the heroes pretty well, but most of his dad's early days were forty or so years ago. Thing hard on the choice he made a decision just as his dad returned from the memorial to the first Aqualad, who Kal was told was where his name came from.

Thomas got behind the wheel and started up his prized black 2012 Dodge Challenger reveling in the roar of the engine before turning to talk to his son, "So make a decision yet bud? Got a long drive home and plenty of stories to tell."

"Yeah, I wanna hear about you and Uncle Dick taking down the Court of Owls!"

Thomas smiled, "Good choice Kal, good choice! Well buckle up and we'll hit the road. This tale will probably take the whole trip home."

Pulling the car out of the memorial parking lot Thomas began telling his eager 12 year old son the story, "So this one happened about 37 years ago…"

* * *

**Gotham City – March 3, 2015  
The Batcave**

Dick Grayson descended in the old service elevator from Wayne Manor into the bowels of the Batcave below. To the rest of the world he had simply returned home from college in Blüdhaven. Thanks to Bruce Dick could have gotten into any college in any city in the world and it was quite the source of tabloid discussion when the ward of Bruce Wayne chose to attend college in the crime-ridden city in Europe. Young Mr. Grayson had been going to college for the whole semester before rumors of a new vigilante on the streets of Blüdhaven started reaching Batman's ears. And Batman was most definitely not someone you kept things from, especially things like going solo as a hero in a city that nearly made Gotham look like a small farm town in terms of crime and corruption.

That was the real reason Mr. Grayson found himself heading to his old stomping ground in the Batcave. While the public would never know it was actually the events in this very cave one year prior that drove Dick to choose his new location in life. Bruce had replaced him as Robin with some junkie kid who had the gall to try to steal the tires of the Batmobile. That had set Dick off more than anything. He was the one who had created the Robin identity for crying out loud! It was what his mother used to call him before they were murdered and Bruce taking that identity and giving it some punk had put such a strain on their relationship that he couldn't stand working with the man anymore. And that's the story of how Nightwing came to Blüdhaven and started beating the crap out of criminals and scum, which was why Dick wasn't looking forward to his conversation with Bruce.

As the elevator came to a stop Dick lifted the metal safety bar and stepped into the underground lair of the legendary Batman. Walking toward the main computer the young hero found his gaze being drawn to the lab table where a body was laying with what looked like liquid nitrogen tubes running into his chest. His curiosity getting the better of him Dick walked over to examine the body. What he found utterly amazed him. The man had more scars running along his body the Bruce, Dick and Jason combined. It seemed impossible for someone to have lived through the trauma that this man's body had seen. There were several that indicated to the trained eye that the man's hands had been repeatedly broken. One, caused by what appeared to be a blade, ran down the side of his face from his right eye brow down to just above the right part of his upper lip. The torso alone seemed to have more scarred than unmarred flesh.

"Ah, Master Richard, so good to see you again. I see you have found Master Bruce's new lab experiment." The sudden sound of Alfred made Dick jump a fraction of an inch. Somehow the man could sneak up on anyone, even Batman.

"Alfred! Good to see you!" Dick gave his old butler/caretaker a cheerful hug before getting more serious by making a gesture to the man on the table, "I take it this is part of the reason Bruce called me?"

"Quite right sir, quite right. Though I believe the initial call was concerning your recent foray into solo vigilantism. However I sincerely doubt that Master Bruce would admit as much."

"So do I A, so do I."

Before Dick could get any chance to further examine the corpse on the slab Batman, sans the top of his costume, emerged from the armory. The sight of him caused Dick to inwardly gasp out of shock for he hadn't seen the man this beaten in years. Bandages were draped around his torso and looked as though they weren't doing too good of a job at stopping whatever bleeding was going on. The way Bruce walked it looked as though there were numerous broken or cracked ribs. There were several lacerations on his face and arms along with major swelling around his left eye. Bruises had formed in the abdomen and didn't end as they wound their way to Bruce's back, which Dick didn't even want to look at judging by the condition of his front side. That wasn't even mentioning the serious limp Bruce walked with. His right calf had been splinted and he looked as though he should be bedridden instead of walking around the Batcave like nothing happened. Yet despite the injuries and the mental trauma that clearly had to accompany them Bruce seemed to be soldier on. He was, after all, Batman.

Dick wasn't sure what to say to the man who all but kicked him out a little over a year ago so he went with whatever came out his mouth, "You look like hell Bruce."

"You should see the other guy." Both Alfred and Dick froze on the spot. Did Batman just make a joke? That happened literally once a year. You could literally count the number of years Bruce had been Batman by the number of jokes he'd told. Yet in spite of the serious beating he'd just started to recover from Bruce had cracked a joke. Between that and the dead guy on the table something told Dick this was going to be a strange night.

"So you want to tell me what happened?"

Bruce finished walking over to the Alfred and Dick and stared at the body for several seconds before responding, "The Court of Owls has declared war on Gotham."

The sentence hung in the air for several seconds before Dick fully comprehended the meaning behind it, "What, like THE Court of Owls? You always said they were just a myth."

"I was wrong."

_Holy shit, a joke and he's admitting he was wrong. The world has officially stopped spinning._

Dick's inner monologue was cut off by Bruce continuing to explain the situation, "The man on the table is an assassin known as a Talon and is actually over 150 years old."

"Pardon me sir, did you say 'A' Talon?" Alfred was deeply concerned that there were more of these assassins considering what only one could do to Batman.

"Yes Alfred, 'A' Talon." Striding over to the lab table and standing directly over the body Bruce began to recite on old folk tale,

"The Court of Owls watches,  
watches all the time.  
Ruling Gotham from shadowed perch,  
behind granite and lime.

They watch you at your hearth.  
they watch you in your bed,  
speak not a whispered word of them,  
or they'll send The Talon for your head.

During my encounter with the Court I found the holding cells for each of the Talons. There were 21 unopened caskets housing the different assassins. Two were opened. One was this man's, who according to the Court was their deadliest warrior. The other was unfilled, having been meant for a new recruit who the Court is waiting to reclaim."

"Bruce, who is the man?" While Dick was quite appreciative of Batman's sharing mood this particular night he really wanted some more solid intel like names and dates than old wives' tales.

"His name is William Cobb. And if you brushed up on your family tree like I asked you then you'll know the name."

Dropping Cobb's name had thrown Nightwing for a loop.  _Seems to be a consistent theme tonight._ "My great-grandfather? That why you wanted me to research my family on the flight over? The records I found indicate that he died at the age of 19 after getting my great-grandmother pregnant. Are you tell me he became this assassin?"

"Yes and that isn't the most troubling part Dick."

"What's more troubling than finding out my great-grandfather is a master assassin and somehow still alive?"

"That would be the liquid nitrogen. Through a combination of chemicals the Court is able to keep their assassins in a hibernetic state between battles and it also allows them to heal their bodies, even from death. However I analyzed the chemical and found than extreme cold keeps the chemical reaction from occurring."

"Well, that explains the tubes in his arms and chest, but you said there was something more troubling?"

"That unopened casket I told you about was meant for someone in particular Dick." Bruce looked at the ground stopping just short of revealing the name.

"Who?" Dick had grown agitated at Bruce's piece-mealing of the information.

"You Dick. You were meant to be the next Talon."

* * *


	2. All Hands on Deck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce and Dick discuss the Court of Owls, and the implications of their existence within Gotham.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short, but I wanted to get the story a little further progressed as I think introducing my OC from Strange New World would make for a bit of a over-packed chapter. So as a heads up my OC Hawkeye will be coming in the third chapter. If you haven't read Strange New World go do so now so you can be caught up, find it on my profile page. With that I now leave you the story below.

 

* * *

**Gotham City – March 4, 2015  
The Batcave – 2:00 a.m.**

_The Court of Owls watches,_  
watches all the time.  
Ruling Gotham from shadowed perch,  
behind granite and lime.

_They watch you at your hearth._  
 _they watch you in your bed,_  
 _speak not a whispered word of them,_  
 _or they'll send The Talon **for your head**._

The words of the quintessential Gotham myth ran through the Dick's mind. Somehow, without either him or Bruce knowing about their existence, the Court of Owls was real and there were back. The cold lifeless body on the table in the Batcave was proof enough. The man in question was one of the Court's most lethal assassins, perhaps their greatest. This Talon was able to beat Batman in combat and take back to the Court's underground layer to be relentlessly tortured. Only some quick thinking by Bruce allowed the tables to turn and without that ingenuity no would even know that a 400 year old villainous society was back to take over Gotham by force.

It was far easier to think over the words of the old wives' tale than to actually come to terms with the bombs that Bruce had just dropped on him. The assassin on the table was actually William Cobb, Dick's great-grandfather, and was still alive after 150 years. And despite the scary revelations of the past 30 minutes Dick couldn't wrap his head around the last piece that he was meant to be the next Talon. He would have joined the 22 other Talons and brainwashed to obey the command of the Court, but then his parents died and he was taken in by Bruce. It wasn't so much that it scared him that it could have happened. What scared him was that he had had no clue before Bruce told him. The fear of the unknown was what gripped his mind as he sat in the exam chair in the bowels of the Batcave.

Alfred was currently playing dentist and checking out Dick's backmost molar. On the undead assassin Bruce had found a symbol imbedded in the tooth that bore the mark of the Court and assumed Dick may have been similarly marked.

Rotating the light a little to the left Alfred found what he was looking for, "It appears you were correct Master Bruce. Master Richard was indeed marked as you thought."

Bruce, who was standing at Alfred and Dick's side, simply continued to brood on the matter for several seconds before replying, "This complicates things." His curt nature still remained despite his numerous injuries and obvious fatigue from his capture and escape. While the bluntness was not unusual the content of the statement managed to ruffle Nightwing feathers considerably.

Dick rose to a swing his legs over the side of the chair, "How so Buce? I don't care what someone had planned for me, but I'm my own man! and I choose what I do, not some stood Court of Owls that's for damn sure and if you think for one second I'm sitting this out because this meaningless crap!"

Batman walked toward Nightwing, grimacing as he shifted his weight onto his less than combat ready leg, "I would never ask you to Dick. But this isn't meaningless. I think the court will attempt to come after you. If not to capture, then definitely to kill you. You were always meant to join them and I doubt they will take kindly to Dick Grayson telling them 'No.' when they come calling."

Having calmed down from his outburst Dick could see the logic in Bruce's argument. He was obviously important enough for them to mark him as their next Talon. And if the Court was making a power play it would be fair to assume his civilian persona would somehow figure into their endgame.

The line of thought led Dick to a sickening realization, "But Bruce, that'd make you target as both Batman  _and_  Bruce Wayne. If Dick Grayson is important to them you took me in, which I doubt went over to well with their human resources department. And I don't think you're in a position to fight them off if they show up anytime soon."

Bruce sighed, "I know." No elaboration was necessary, Batman would need to sit for a long time to heal from his current injuries. Coming to grips with his own weakness was never Batman's strength, but he understood the gravity of the situation. Lifting his head to look Dick in the eye he spoke with his signature command voice, "Put out the call. We're going to need backup."

Nightwing nodded before looking as though he was running through a list of possibilities in his head, "League help?"

"No."

"Well that limits the people that can help. Outside of our extended family I can think of a few names who I know as their leader are not currently busy."

"You're not seriously thinking of who I know you're thinking of are you?"

Annoyed at this mentor's attitude Nightwing decided to mess with the old man, "Who am I thinking of then?"

"Hawkeye and Superboy."

"Well damn, you're actually right. And before you start I know you're stance on metas and aliens in Gotham, but this is serious Bruce. It's all hands on deck here and we don't have enough hands."

Bruce simply exhaled slowly, exuding contempt at having to put up with other heroes in his town. Then again neither of the two Dick suggested were in the League and considering Batman couldn't been seen not being able to handle his own house. Ceasing the conversation both Bruce and Dick headed over to elevator back up to the Manor above. Somehow Alfred had already ascended _,_ which Dick was amazed the old man could do.  _No doubt used his secret butler/ninja power,_ he thought as he waited for the elevator to reach the top. Once in the manor Dick and Bruce parted ways to head to their respective rooms for the night.

Neither noticed the black-clad assassin perched in the trees just outside the hallway window.

* * *


	3. Assault on Wayne Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Talons have infiltrated Wayne Manor, but Bruce and Dick don't know it yet.

**Previously on Court Is In Session:**

_Once in the manor Dick and Bruce parted ways to head to their respective rooms for the night._

_Neither noticed the black-clad assassin perched in the trees just outside the hallway window.  
_

* * *

**Gotham City – March 4th  
Wayne Manor - 2:30 a.m.**

The Talon smiled behind his owl-like mask. The light from the interior of the house played across the reflective black lenses of his cowl. So far his prey had not noticed his presence which was of some disappointment. Mr. Wayne had been able to defeat William Cobb, the Court's greatest assassin, without a weapon of any kind atop Wayne Tower and the rest of the Talons were itching for both the fight and their revenge for their fallen comrade. They would get their chance shortly.

* * *

**Wayne Manor – 3:15 a.m.**

Lying in his bed Bruce found sleep hard to come by. His body was battered and beaten from two separate encounters with one of the Court's Talons and the pain in various parts of his body wouldn't abate. Alfred had already dosed him hours before with painkillers that were now beginning to wear off. As medication was out of the question he decided that some simple stress relief activities would take his mind off the plan, thereby allowing him a chance to rest. And by stress relief he of course meant a steaming cup of Alfred's hot cocoa. Swinging his legs off the bed and slipping his feet into a pair of slippers he trudged off toward the kitchen.

It took the wounded man several minutes to reach the personal kitchen, one of the three kitchens in the manor, but he didn't expect to find it already occupied. Stopping just short of the entrance he could scarcely hear the voices of Alfred and Dick.

"I don't know A, it's just that I haven't seen him like that in years. I don't think he can keep putting up with that strain on his body for much longer."

"I worry as well Master Richard, but I do believe we should not speak of this matter while Master Bruce is just outside the door."

 _Damn,_ Bruce thought to himself as he resumed walking into the kitchen,  _Alfred is too damn observant sometimes._  Limping toward the stove to get the hot water Bruce found that Alfred already had placed a cup of cocoa on the table opposite from Dick's. Shifting his goal Bruce sat down and sipped his drink before remembering what Dick said just moments ago.

"So, you think I'm getting old?"

"What? NO! I wouldn't say that…exactly. It's just not what I meant is all."

"Well, what did you mean then?"

"Bruce," Dick paused to think over his words carefully, "it's just your basically my dad and it's been long time since either me or Alfie have ever seen you this hurt."

Setting down his drink Bruce stared right into Dick's eyes, "I can handle it."

Dick found himself nearly frozen by Bruce's glare; thankfully Alfred wasn't going to let the conversation of the matter go just yet, "What I believed Master Richard is trying to ask if how much longer you intend to continue this crusade of yours?"

Turning on his stool to face his own surrogate father figure Bruce retorted quickly, "Are you saying I should quit?"

"Not all sir, not all. I am simply suggesting that the time will soon come when you'll have to start fighting crime as Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. The world needs your knowledge and resources Master Bruce, but it can't use them if you perish while wearing a mask."

No one in the room spoke for several moments. Alfred had effectively cut to the core of the argument; Bruce needed to start planning for how he would hang up the cape. After all, the near 38 year old wasn't getting any younger and his body was starting to show it. Dick had begun training at a much younger age was far less physical in his fighting style than Bruce so he could go for at least another 25 years or more if nothing bad happened to almost 18 year old. It was a different story for Bruce and he knew it. Being a brawler and patrolling more rigorously in his earlier days had wreaked havoc on his joints. Downing the last of the cocoa in his mug Bruce stood to leave the kitchen, choosing to end the conservation before the problem was fully resolved.

Before he left the kitchen a loud series of thumps were heard emanating from the roof. Bruce quickly reeled around, staring above to the ceiling, praying that he hadn't heard what he thought he did. Looking at Dick he gave a quick nod for both men understood what the other was thinking:  _The Talons had come for them._ Without a sound all three bolted toward the hidden entrance to the Batcave. But before they could reach the grandfather clock they found a Talon in the main hall blocked their path.

"What do you want?" Dick had stepped between Bruce and Alfred as neither of them would be of much use in a fight, especially given Bruce's injuries.

"Ah, Richard John Grayson, the fabled lost son of the Talons and the heir to Cobb's mantle. We will take you back to the Court after we have dealt with Mr. Wayne and his butler."

"Deal with me?" Bruce had advanced to stand level with Dick.

"Yes, Mr. Wayne, the Court of Owls has sentenced you to die!"

Scoffing at the Talon's remark Bruce couldn't help but laugh inwardly, "You know, that's the second time one you and your friends have told me that. And I'm still standing."

"Nearly all of the Talons are here tonight, but they have allowed me the honor of handling you all personally."

"That was a mistake." Bruce's voice got even lower, as if daring the Talon to make a move.

"We'll see." If the Talon wasn't wearing a mask a menacing sneer would have been seen plastered on his face, but even in his tone of voice it was understood that the assassin was done playing with his food before he struck.

Bruce stood motionless as the assassin charged forward toward the trio. Dick attempted to meet their assailant head on but was stopped when Bruce placed his hand on his shoulder. With his other hand Bruce pulled a light fixture from the wall and a whole opened up below the Talon's feet, sending him plummeting 15 feet down into a sheer-walled pit. None of the Bat-family triumvirate believed the trap would hold the assassin for long, but it gave them enough time to slip into the Batcave and prepare for the coming assault.

* * *

Five minutes later Alfred, Bruce, and Dick were running hurriedly around the Batcave setting up the defensive systems. While they were secure for the moment it was obvious the Talons would find their way in eventually. Thankfully Bruce had denied the Justice League's request to install of zeta-tube platform in the cave so there was no need to worry about that particular system being breached. While waiting for inevitable fight Dick worked furiously on the computer to dump all the files on to the secure off-site server. His first priority was removing all mention of the names and identities of the members of the Bat family.

"Try your comm." Bruce's deep voice shook Dick from his slightly panicked state.

Putting his hand to his ear he was met with only static, "No go. They probably set up a jamming net around the house."

Batman nodded, "Did you put out the call?" Waiting for Dick to respond he went back to analyzing the data retrieved from the not-so-dead Talon on the exam table. In his gauntlet he had a data drive that was heavily encrypted. He gave it to Alfred for decrypting within the armory while he waited for Dick to finish up with the computer.

"Yeah, I put out the call before I left for bed, but I didn't say it was an emergency. I still haven't get a reply yet either. Hawkeye knows where the cave is, but without him Superboy has got no shot of finding us in time considering you never let him in here."

Bruce never responded to Dick's passive aggressive slight, but he couldn't help having a nagging suspicion that Dick was right. Sometimes his own paranoia got the best of him, making him shut out the people that could help the most when he needed it. Maybe if he'd let Dick have more freedom with who he brought to the cave they could have some back up right now. Wally, of course had been here many times, but he and Artemis had just "retired" at the early age of 19. Kaldur had died before ever getting the the chance to see the cave, Superboy was prone to breaking things, and M'gann had never truly gained the Batman's trust. Hawkeye, by virtue of knowing who Batman and Robin already were, was granted access in extreme situations and had actually only been to the cave twice himself. Still, for being a Meta, he was quite competent and considering Brue's own debilitated state Hawkeye's presence would be a welcome sight. Not that Batman would ever admit that out loud.

Footfalls along the upper balcony drew both Nightwing and Batman's attention. The accompanying voice painted the scene in an even starker light, "Oh Bruce, you have been hiding a secret haven't you?"

_ The Talons were in the Batcave and they knew who Batman was. _

* * *

While Bruce and Alfred were held up in the locked armory Nightwing stood alone to face the onslaught of the Talons. Whatever intel was on Cobb's device needed to be cracked and sent to the right people so that the Court could be stopped. Dick mentally prepared himself as the Talons began pouring into the cave from the elevator shaft. Most of the 14 Dick could pick out stayed on the upper balcony, watching as though the floor below was a gladiator pit. A lone Talon, Dick guessed the one they had left in the trap door, stood 12 feet opposite from the protector of Blüdhaven.

"The Court will be pleased this night," The Talon unsheathed several throwing knives, "Not only will Bruce Wayne be killed, but Batman will as well. And our lost little bird will finally be coming home."

Dick just smirked at that last remark from the Talon, "Yeah, I'm not feeling the aster on that one."

Immediately after speaking Nightwing moved swiftly to engage his opponent to make sure the fight was on his terms first and foremost. After several traded upper body blows and blocks it became apparent to the younger hero that the Talon was physically stronger than he was, but Dick had the edge in finesse and quickness department. Plus he had been trained by Batman from nearly 12 years so the two grapplers were evenly matched.

Dick threw a jab at his opponent's abdomen, but found his arm caught in a hold. With his upper body twisted out of position he kicked out with his leg to catch the Talon on the inside of his left knee. Hearing a satisfying crack Dick could feel the tide of the fight turning. Just as he thought that the Talon's hold faltered and Dick back flipped away, pulling out his trademark dual eskrima sticks and began a renewed assault. The Talon hardly moved as Dick brought both sticks crashing down on his skull, but in his flurry of motion Dick missed the Talon's small slashing motion. While the Talon lay motionless on the ground Dick felt the warm trickle of blood down his thigh.

Putting pressure on his leg Dick watched as the Talons grew incensed at their comrade's defeat at the hands of Nightwing. Realizing they would attack soon Dick took the time to contact Bruce inside the armory, "Bruce, I probably don't got a lot of time out here."

Bruce's voices crackled over the comm, "I know Dick. I just sent the data to Batgirl. It was a list of targets for the other Talons to assassinate so the court can make their powerplay. I've sent a message to the others to get help and stop the assassinations. Give me a few minutes and I'll get the war suit on. It's self-powered so I can operate easily enough."

"…" All Bruce got in his reply from Nightwing was static, "DICK!" Bruce was going frantic in the armory trying to get the suit powered up to take on the Talons. Bruce had lost a lot in his life, but losing his adopted son just might be the straw that broke the camel's back. He just wanted to know what was going on out there. As Batman he like to think he knew everything, but now in the bowels of his own home he was lost.

The Talons had swarmed Nightwing. Dick had known his stand would be futile, but at least Bruce got that Court of Owls data out so maybe their deaths wouldn't be completely in vain.

One of the Talons stood over the bloody, but not yet defeated body of Nightwing and laughed. "I wonder what the court ever saw in you." Dick's attempt to rise caught the attention of the new Talon "leader", "Stay down boy or I might find an excuse to disobey my order to bring you in alive."

Dick's further attempt to stand and continue the fight was met with a swift kick to the stomach. When his vision cleared he saw a Talon standing above him with a foot on his chest, sword raised high in the air.

"Die, knowing the Court of Owls defeated you!"

His only thought before the sword began its downward arc was that he wished he could have said goodbye to Babs.

* * *


	4. When the Levee Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson is about to be killed in the Batcave by the Talons, the ruthless assassins controlled by the Court of Owls. With Batman unable to help him, is there anyone save Nightwing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm a little lost as to what direction I should take this story. If anyone's got suggestion I would gladly take them. I hope to update more frequently in the future as well. With that said, this chapter contains references to one of my favorite bands, Led Zeppelin, and video game universes, Halo. See if you can spot the reference to the latter!
> 
> Please read, comment, and enjoy!

 

**Batcave  
March 4** **th** **– 3:25 a.m.**

They say that when you're facing imminent death that your life flashes before your eyes. That's one statement Dick Grayson knows is complete and utter bullshit. In that moment you know you're going to die you only have time for a select few thoughts to pass before the final breath is drawn. Nightwing's were currently of the more vulgar variety, such as:  _Well, doesn't this just suck major balls?_

Of course, as he was busy staring into the eyes of his would-be killer the protégé to the world's greatest detective missed a golden object flying through the air and promptly connecting with his assassin's head. The lead Talon slumped forward and landed next to Nightwing. The Talons themselves panicked momentarily unsure as to the location of the assailant. Dick's eyes widened as he processed the new circumstances he found himself him in. The object he now recognized as a baseball bat, one that he hadn't seen in a long time. With realization dawning on him Nightwing just shook his head and laughed, drawing the ire of the Talons surrounding him.

As the Talons regrouped in the intervening seconds a new sound was heard throughout the cave over the speakers. A rhythmic drum beat rang out followed by the rest of the classic introduction to Led Zeppelin's  _When the Levee Breaks._  The music was definitely unwelcome to the caves unwanted intruders. The loud reverberations only further confused them. This, of course, was the moment the man who rescued Nightwing chose to make his grand entrance.

A man clad in a black and gold uniform quite similar to Dick's jumped down from the upper level of the cave system into the mass of Talons below. Landing expertly on top of the first Talon the newcomer timed his jump off the crushed villain and rolled between Grayson and the rest of the Talons. Readying his stance the man waited for the Talons to strike the next blow, which given his surprise advantage seemed like a wasted move. In fact, as though to further signal an end to his assault the man touched a button on his wrist and the music ceased, bringing silence back to the Batcave.

The Talons, however did not attack as they sized up their new opponent. An opponent who had just vaulted 45 feet, a jump that most assuredly would have injured a normal human. Just as Thomas made his entrance the Talon who had been on the receiving of the baseball bat had recovered and stepped forward to address the hero.

"You have no hope of victory. Your efforts here are in vain, hero. Our targets will die this night and you along with them!"

While the Talon had hope to intimidate the new opponent his threat did not have the desired effect judging from the young man's response, "It seems you've got quite the healing factor. Not many could get back up from one of my throws."

"Young one, I have received much worse over my 200 years of existence. You and your antics do not impress me. What is your name? Your uniform will make a nice trophy for the Court."

"For the record my name is Hawkeye. And I'm guessing that in your 200 years you haven't ever been on the receiving end of blow from a Kryptonian have you?"

"What?" As that precise moment Kon-El decided to make his presence known by jumping into the confrontation and delivering a hard right hook to the Talon leader's jaw thereby knocking him into the far wall. Thankfully Thomas's distraction had been enough to allow the less than stealthy demi-Kryptonian to slip in unnoticed. Superboy took up a fighting position next Hawkeye and readied for the battle.

But before the Talons could attack the doors from the armory blew themselves outward. All eyes were drawn to the newly created opening as Batman, clad in his robotic war suit stomped out of the threshold. The sight of the war suit was awe-inspiring to say the least. Standing well over eight feet tall the suit was probably more aptly labeled a tank than a suit. The silver and black unit had been designed to function in the most alien of environments that the Bat could think of, but he never planned on using it in his own home. Right now he just didn't care, because the Talons had come after him personally in his house. And it was payback time.

What the Talons didn't know was that Bruce had set the temperature controls in the cave to drop well below freezing. It would take a few minutes to reach full effect, but the Talons would begin to go into hibernation once the temperature dipped below a low enough point. There was one problem with the current plan, one that Bruce didn't want to leave up in the air.

"Hawkeye, keep Nightwing warm. It's going to get cold fast. Superboy provide cover for them." Bruce quickly cut the communication hoping that the two young heroes could protect Dick long enough for his desperate gamble to work.

As Batman engaged the Talons with the war suit Hawkeye turned to Dick, who was still lying on the ground clutching his leg from his earlier wound, "You just had to get just didn't you? I could be having fun right now kicking ass, but NOOO, I've got keep your ass from freezing to death!"

Spreading his arms outward Hawkeye began to manipulate his pyro kinesis around Nightwing. Normally he'd just use the genetic ability to flame blast some random villain, but maintaining a field of warmth without killing the people inside it required more concentration and focus which left him vulnerable. Thankfully Superboy more than ably kept the Talons at bay while Batman put the rest of the birds down permanently.

With the last Talon down for the count Superboy was called to help Batman place them in stasis while Hawkeye stood watch over Nightwing. The acrobat's leg had mostly stopped bleeding, but he would not have survived Bruce's plan had Hawkeye not successfully kept him from freezing to death. While Dick was inwardly thanking God he made it through the night Hawkeye just shook his head.

"See what happens when I'm not around Wing? I turn on my back on you bats for a few seconds and you're whole world falls apart! You're just damn lucky my comm when the call came over the wire."

"Yeah, you're telling me Thomas, you're telling me."

"So how's the leg? Can't do too much until Bats turns the heat back up, which will have to be after he gets the bird boys on ice."

"I've had worse, I'll be up and around soon I hope."

"So mind filling me in on exactly what's being going on?"

"Let's wait until after I get my leg looked at."

Fine, but you owe me one Nightwing." Dick looked at Thomas quizzically for he was pretty sure Thomas still owed him at least twice, but Thomas quickly amended his statement, "As long as we're only counting tonight."

* * *


	5. An Unexpected Ally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin, Hawkeye, and Superboy check out Haly's Circus, but run into a rather peculiar red helmeted gunman.

* * *

**The Batcave – 11:30 a.m.  
** **March 4, 2015**

Nightwing lay on the examination table in the Batcave, surrounded by Batman, Hawkeye, Superboy, and Alfred. His leg was stitched up, and barring any strenuous activity it would heal properly. Once he had a good rest he explained the situation to the two newcomers to the cave.

"So you're telling me that some centuries old Gotham myth is actually the real deal?" Hawkeye was a little confused to say the least by the current situation, but he knew not to really question Nightwing or Batman. "I mean, if you're filling me in on this I can only assume you're not putting on over on me."

Kon-El was more concerned with a very particular aspect of the story. "So are they after Batman, or Bruce Wayne?"

Batman's eyes narrowed. The use of his name was not something he was used to. While Hawkeye had already been aware of his and Dick's identities, he was less than pleased the Kon-El had been accidentally included into that small fraternity.

"Both."

"And me." Everyone's attention snapped back to Dick. "But not as Nightwing, they're after Dick Grayson."

Alfred took it upon himself to divulge the remaining information. "Master Grayson, it would seem, was chosen from an early age to become one of the next Talons, the order of assassin's you had the pleasure of greeting earlier this morning."

"What do you mean chosen? You think Haly knew about this." Hawkeye's name dropping of Jack Haly made it clear he was speaking to Dick.

The acrobat sat silent for a moment, pondering the different scenarios. Haly was like his grandfather, he didn't want to believe that he would be capable of such an act, but his training suggested it was an avenue of investigation to follow. "I honestly don't know Thomas. But it's something we're going to have to check up on."

Dick moved to get out of bed, but grimaced in pain as he propped himself up on the crutches. Alfred stepped in to support the younger man. "Master Richard, I advise you return to the bed. Your wound will not heal if you try anything to rash."

Dick ignored the butler's suggestions. "Bruce, think you can spare Robin for a little detective work?"

Bruce shook his head. "Robin isn't ready for this. He'll need more training before I let him go off on his own."

"I never said he'd be going out on his own. Obviously, you and I are going to be out of commission for a while, but unless Alfie's pain meds are making me hallucinate, I see two perfectly good heroes standing right here." Dick gestured to his two teammates and friends.

Bruce's analytical mind ran through the various arguments both fo and against Robin's involvement in this case. On one hand, Tim Drake was still young and very inexperienced. On the other, he did possess as keen detective's perspective making him very useful in a case like this. In addition he would be accompanied by two well-trained heroes who had both earned Batman's trust over the past four years in which he'd known them.

"Very well, but the mission will have to wait until he's available. I doubt I could realistically convince the school to excuse him for the rest of the day considering how many excuses we've already used."

Dick laughed, remembering all the times he's had to cut class to don the Robin costume. "What, you don't think saying you're on your deathbed for the umpteenth time would work? I don't know how that could ever be the case."

After returning to the table, Dick grabbed Thomas by the arm. "Make sure Robin makes it back in one piece."

"Something I should be worried about?"

"Not sure, been a nasty drug dealer muscling into Gotham lately. Been a lot of bodies lately."

* * *

**En route to**   **Haly's Circus – 10:45 p.m.**

Haly's Circus had been in Gotham for a few weeks, which meant travel wouldn't be necessary for Robin, Hawkeye and Superboy as they tracked down any connection between Haly and the Court of Owls. While Robin had gone on multiple patrols with Batman, this was his first experience working with any other heroes other than Nightwing or Batgirl. He'd, of course, already read the files on the heroes he was working with for the night, but nevertheless felt he should attempt to actually get to know them in a little more in depth fashion.

"So you're a super-soldier?"

Hawkeye didn't break stride as they all continued along the Gotham rooftops. "Yeah, pretty much. That all Bats's file says about me?" Something in Thomas's voice made Tim feel as though he was already certain of the answer.

"No, you are possibly immortal as well along with having the ability to create and manipulate flames."

"That does about sum it up. Though, I'm not 100% sure how Bat's classified my ability. I mean, you are asking to better get to know my strengths and weaknesses right?" Tim nodded. "You're certainly trained well. Basically my strength was on par with Kaldur. I rarely use my pyro kinetic ability, mostly because I use it as a last resort. Fire's pretty deadly to humans as you might imagine."

Tim silently digested the information. He'd definitely have to add Thomas's assessment of his own abilities into the file. Superboy landed softly next to the pair.

"The new Robin already interrogating you?" Superboy chuckled as Thomas nodded.

"I do believe it's your turn Supey."

Kon's expression faltered as he turned to the kid. "Seriously?"

"Yep." Hawkeye smirked as Robin turned his attention to the demi-kryptonian.

"So, file says your Superman's clone."

"It does."

"SO would that make you like Superman's son? IF so, that would speak negatively of Superman's character for what the file deems as 'negligible behavior."

Superboy bristled at the mention of Superman. "Then whatever file Batman have you is out of date."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No.

"Indulge me."

Hawkeye suppressed as laugh as the conversation continued. "Fine. The whole father-son thing turned out to be pretty stupid. I mean, him being told to treat me like his kid was obviously unsettling to him. I hated him at first, but after we reconciled I realized that how bad the whole situation was for him. He'd been cloned and now everyone wanted him to treat that clone like his own, except for that tiny little fact I was made explicitly made to kill him and my other donor is his biggest enemy."

Tim's eyes widened at that particular revelation. That was definitely not in the file. He kept his mouth shut as Superboy continued. "We're more like brothers anyway." Silence retook the group until Superboy spoke again. "I've got to say you are much less of a talker than your older brother."

"Which one?" The question remained unanswered for a moment as Kon realized how sensitive the matter was. Even 8 months didn't make the passing of a Robin any less depressing. Kon pushed through the awkward silence to answer the teen's question.

"Nightwing." And just like the, the mood changed for the better as they had just about neared their target. "And I would say he's more annoying than chatty."

Superboy peered over the last roof. "Does he still do that annoying cackle when he patrols in Gotham?"

Tim looked over the circus grounds with his binoculars. "Yes."

Hawkeye took stock of the situation. "Alright, let's cut the chatter fellas. Superboy, I want you to circle around the exterior of the grounds, using your infrared to scan for possible hostiles. Robin, you're with me."

"And how are we getting in?"

Hawkeye flashed a smile. "We're going through the front door."

* * *

Superboy had completed his survey of the circus grounds and radioed that it was clear for Hawkeye and Robin to enter, most of the grounds were deserted and the performers had all gone to their bunks for the evening. Robin walked through the main gate, the light fully showing the world that Robin was on the scene. As he walked he noticed several outlines darting in front of him just outside of the light's reach. While he noticed them, he paid no attention to them. That was decidedly harder to do when one of them jumped in front of him.

"It seems Batman's little bird has much to learn." One of the remaining Talons stood in Robin's path, brandishing an ornate sword. Clearly, his intention was the kill the young hero.

As the assassin raised his blade to strike, Robin made no move to defend himself. This didn't faze the Talon as the blade arced toward Robin's head. But then something happened, something that definitely wasn't part of the plan. A gun sounded to Robin's left, the bullet impacting with the blade. The assassin stumbled as the force pulled the sword from his grasp. He wheeled around to face his attacker, but saw nothing. From the darkness as second blast was heard and the assassin crumpled to the ground with a bullet hole in his forehead. Robin moved to get into the shadows, but before he could move the gunmen was tackled from behind, bringing he and Hawkeye into the light in front of Robin.

Robin would have moved to attack the newcomer, but stopped when he saw that he had a gun pointed at Hawkeye's head from point blank range. Hawkeye stood from atop the man and back away. Thomas stared at the gunman as he stood up as well, trying to read him through the form fitting red helmet.

"You know, if you shoot me, I'll just come back."

"I know. But by the time you do I'll have killed the replacement." There were multiple things that set off alarm bells, but Hawkeye didn't have time to ponder them as the gunman continued to speak. "So, Batman couldn't even come after me himself?"

Robin and Hawkeye paused, wondering what the gunman could mean. Robin figured it out first. "You're the new dealer in town."

The gunman's response was quick and harsh. "I wasn't talking to you,  _replacement!_!"

The use and tone of the word gave Hawkeye a suspicion about who the masked man might be, but he needed to keep him talking. He also positioned himself between the gunman and Robin, mostly to make sure the kid didn't take unnecessary action. "Well, sorry to insult your ego, but we aren't here for you. And I think you already knew that when you took down that assassin."

"Well, brownie points for you asshole."

"Since you should up when you did, I can only assume that you've been following us. Not any easy thing to do that undetected. When you get on our trail?"

"Wasn't, been here talking to old Haly. And man, does he have a story waiting for you guys!" Suddenly the gunman pulled out a incendiary explosive and threw in at Hawkeye's feet. Hawkeye's easily controlled the explosion with his pyro kinesis, but when he looked the gunman was gone.

"Where'd he go?"

Superboy jumped into answer Robin's question. "No clue. Explosion's mess with my infrared vision so I couldn't track him. Sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"What happened?"

"Found Haly in his office."

"And?"

"He's dead."

The trio stood for a second before Hawkeye formed a new plan. "Alright, let's check the scene before the cops show up. Superboy, grab the Talon and hightail it back to the cave."

When they made it to the office, which was really just a desk under a tent, they found Jack Haly's body on the ground surrounded by a pool of his own blood, his hand clutching an old leather-bound book. Robin surveyed the crime scene.

"The hood guy didn't do this."

Hawkeye looked from Haly's body. "How can you tell?"

He'd have just shot him with his gun; this was probably the work of the assassin that attacked me earlier. See the blood spatter? His throat was sliced while sitting in his chair. He slumped forward." Robin looked at the underside of the desk, just above Haly's body. "Looks like be managed to grab this book from the desk. It doesn't have as much as blood on it as it should if it was on him when he was cut."

Hawkeye picked up the book just as sirens could be heard coming toward the circus grounds. "Nice work kid, take this back to the cave."

"You not coming?"

"I'll catch up, should probably tell the commish what happened. You just make sure Bats gets that book."

Hawkeye watched Robin shot his grappling line and took off back toward the cave. He too left, never intending to speak with Gordon. Instead, he opened a comm line to Batman.

"Bats, I need a secure line."

There was brief pause before Batman's voice came over the comm.  _"Line is secure, go ahead."_

" _Haly's dead, the kid's on his way back with some evidence you need to look at a.s.a.p and Superboy should beat him there with a body of a Talon. And one other thing, you're not going to believe who I think I just saw."_

* * *

**I'll give you three guesses who the red helmeted gunman might be. Please review!**


	6. From Myth to Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is the penultimate chapter of Court Is In Session. There will be one more update and then this tale is complete. It's not what I envisioned, but I started this story with no clear direction and it's biting my in the ass as I'm finding it hard to complete this. My last two stories were fully plotted before I even started the first chapter, but this was my second attempt at writing a story and has taken way to too long to finish.
> 
> Still, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

  


* * *

_"Bats, I need a secure line."_

_There was brief pause before Batman's voice came over the comm._ _"Line is secure, go ahead."_

_"_ _Haly's dead, the kid's on his way back with some evidence you need to look at a.s.a.p and Superboy should beat him there with a body of a Talon. And one other thing, you're not going to believe who I think I just saw."_

* * *

After his vague report of the action Hawkeye took off toward the Batcave after Robin. He took Batman's silence on the matter as a grave indicator of the man's move. Bringing up sensitive material never ended well when it came to Bruce, and the bomb Thomas had just hinted at was the most sensitive one there was, aside from the death of his parents when he was a boy. The trip back to the cave was a quick one. While Robin was quick, Thomas had to hold himself back to stay with the kid while they were investigating; thankfully that wasn't the case on the return trip. Once he entered the cave he was immediately notice by Bruce, even though the older man was running some kind of program on the computer.

"Tell me exactly what you saw. Now."

"Geez, Bruce, way to get all demanding."

Thomas didn't need Bruce to turn around to know that the older man was not pleased with his sarcastic remark. "Alright, here's what happened. We got to Haly's. Superboy ran perimeter while Robin and I made our way to Haly's office. On the way Robin got jumped by a Talon assassin, but before the Talon could get any further a gunman in a red helmet pumped two rounds into him. There was a little standoff with the guy, then he left. After that, we made our way to Haly's office where we found the old man dead in a pool of his own blood. Looked like the Court of Owls got to him."

Bruce sat silently for a moment after listening to Thomas speak. "That matches with what Tim mentioned, but what how he described the gunman's actions and speech patterns coupled with your initial communication leaves me staring at a conclusion that shouldn't be possible."

Thomas closed the gap and stood beside the Dark Knight at the computer. "I know. But when I told him that if he shot me I'd just come back, he brushed it off like he already knew. He called Tim, 'replacement', and his voice was way too similar. What I keep coming back to is how he knew I would just heal from a gunshot. There are only a few people in the whole world who know what I'm capable of and the only one unaccounted for is _him._ "

Thomas's extra emphasis on the last word made Bruce turn to face the glass memorial case next to the computer. Both men looked over at the lone Robin costume before Bruce spoke again. "He died; I held his body after the explosion."

Thomas rubbed his neck, dreading his next question. "You 100% sure what you buried was actually Jason?"

Bruce turned to glare at Thomas for the suggestion, but soon his face returned to its state. He touched a button on the computer. "Alfred. Meet me on the ground in 5 minutes."

Bruce switched channels on the comm. "Robin, keep working on the book you discovered Haly's with Nigthwing." Batman clicked off the comm and turned to Thomas. "Bring a shovel."

In five minutes time Bruce, Alfred and Thomas were all on the grounds in the Wayne family cemetery. Considering Bruce was wearing numerous casts and wraps around his brutally beaten body and that Alfred was nearing his 80s, Thomas had been assigned the digging duties. For 10 minutes the tow older men watched while Thomas dug down into the earth, only pausing when his shovel hit wood. After clearing off the remaining dirt Thomas looked up to Bruce, who nodded.

"Open it."

Thomas held his breath as he opened the casket that bad been buried for 8 months, thinking a body would inside. Once the top swung open all three men let out a gasp. There, lying in the casket was a boy identical to Jason Todd. Everything about the body was exactly the same as the day he was buried, all the way down to the cuts that had been inflicted by the Joker.

"Sir, he hasn't even started to decompose. How is this possible?"

"I don't know."

While the other two men were unable to climb down into the hole Thomas lifted the body out of the casket, but hesitated when he felt the body.

Bruce noticed the younger man's pause. "What is it?"

"The body feels too light." Thomas felt the skin, shocked at what he felt. "I-I don't think this is real."

Alfred was incredulous at the claim. "What do you mean?"

"Did any of you check the body at the funeral?"

The two men shook their head. No one noticed Dick make his way beside the group until he spoke. "No. After we took him to get autopsied by Leslie we didn't see the body until the funeral."

Thomas nodded as he jumped out of the hole with the fake body. "Well that settles it."

Alfred looked up from the body to Thomas. "Settles what, sir?"

Bruce picked up on what Thomas was getting at. "Someone switched the body."

Thomas nodded. "And if he's now running around Gotham and I can think of pretty much only one man who has the resources to bring him back."

Batman glared at the fake body. "Ra's al Ghul."

Silence enveloped the group until Dick spoke up. "Confronting the Demon's going to have to wait. We found something in that book that you're going to want to see."

Thomas placed the body back into the casket and covered it with a sparse amount of dirt before following the trio back to the cave. Tim and Kon greeted them in the bowels of the cave. Without waiting for a signal Tim jumped into the briefing.

"We've gone over the book we found in Haly's office. It's pretty dark. Apparently, the circus has been the prime recruiting ground for the Court of Owls for two hundred years. They'd take kids when they turned 13 to begin training. Dick was supposed to be the next one." Time looked up surprised that shock was written on everyone's face.

"You all knew?"

Hawkeye nodded. "Yep."

"Oh, well that makes this kind of anti-climactic."

Dick snapped his finger to get Tim back on track. "What else did you find?"

"There's a name that keeps coming up in the book. I think it's a family name."

Bruce shoved the thoughts about Ra's and Jason from his mind at the mention of a lead. "What name?"

"The Powers." Tim saw the recognition on Bruce's face when he rattled off the name. "You know them?"

"Yeah. When I was a boy, I was convinced my parent's murder hadn't been just random street crime. I set out to find a conspiracy, eventually stumbling on to the Court of Owls. The trail led to an old abandoned hotel that was under the Powers ownership. I thought I'd found the Court, but when I got there, there was nothing but an empty hotel from the 1950s. After that I gave up the search, thinking the Court was nothing more than a myth. Until now that is."

Alfred was the first to speak after Bruce's revelation. "What is our next step, sir?"

"They attacked our home. We're going to burn theirs to the ground.

* * *

**March 5** **th** **– 2:47 a.m.**

The trio of Robin, Hawkeye and Superboy were on a rooftop overlooking the hotel Bruce had mentioned in his story. Robin looked through the binoculars to observe the building's perimeter while Hawkeye grew impatient.

"So, how we going to play this?"

Before Robin could answer a new arrival joined the team. His red helmet glinted in the moonlight. "Well, I'm thinking you should just go in and kill them all. But that's just me."

The trio stared down the gunman, but they stopped their advance on him when they saw a familiar face sneak up behind him. Nightwing procured a small knife and nicked the man just under the helmet, drawing a small amount of blood. With a cackle, Nightwing flipped over the man who had swung around to hit the former circus performer.

Nightwing smiled as he examined the knife. "This DNA sample should come in handy."

The helmeted man stared a Nightwing, his eyes just barely visible in the slits. "Well don't you feel proud of yourself."

"I do actually."

"Fucking _dick._ "

The emphasis on the insult only caused Nightwing to laugh. "Haven't changed a bit, have you baby bird?"

"Don't call me that!" The man wiped out a large knife.

Tim, and Superboy, looked quite confused. "Wait; are you who I'm thinking you are?"

The man in the helmet lowered the knife slightly. "Took you long enough to figure it out. And to think, you're the only Robin Ra's has ever called 'Detective'."

Superboy was now thoroughly bewildered. "Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?"

Nightwing slapped Superboy on the back. "We'll tell you later big guy. Right now, we're to go bash some skulls."

Superboy cracked his knuckles at the thought. "Now that's something I'm looking forward to."

* * *


	7. Like Old Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red Hood joins NIghtwing, Robin, Hawkeye and Superboy as they take out the Court of Owls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the finale of Court Is In Session. I'm not the happiest with how things ended up, but that's what you get when you go into a story without a plan for how to finish it. Still, I hope you all enjoy it and leave a review.
> 
> For any and all interested readers. I have Red Hood showing in Sigma Squad for an extended cameo and he plays a big role in The Outlaws. Both those stories are a part of my AU and hare recently been completed as well.

  


* * *

"So, shall we?" Nightwing drew out his grappling hook. After preparing to fire he turned to the man in the red helmet. "So, what exactly are we supposed to call you?"

"Red Hood."

Nightwing stifled a laugh, which drew the ire of the man now called Red Hood. "What you laughing at?"

"Not really the most original name is it, Jay?"

"Well, I'm doing it better."

"Keep telling yourself that, Jay."

Superboy caught on the second time the nickname was used. "Wait, Jay. As in thee _J_?"

Red Hood shook his head, but the first sound to be heard was Dick's wrist computer dinging. Nightwing analyzed the screen that popped and broke in a wide smile as he turned to Superboy. "Yeah! DNA's a match!"

To the surprise of no one on the roof, Nightwing leapt forward and enveloped Red Hood in a very enthusiastic hug. Hood looked awkward as Nightwing didn't let up. Finally he coughed to break the silence, making Dick break off the hug.

"So, can we stop with all the touchy feel bullshit now? Pretty sure we have a mission."

Tim cocked his head at the mention of teaming up. "Who is 'we'?"

"Well _replacement_ , my business enterprises don't exactly take into account having a centuries old group of power brokers and assassins. Plus, they killed a few of my runners. They're going to pay." Hood punctuated his statement by pulling back the slid on his pistol, which did not go unnoticed by Nightwing. In a swift motion Dick swiped the pistol from Red Hood's grasp.

"Sorry, no killing tonight. But you're more than welcome to join us; it'll be just like old times."

Red Hood growled lowly. "Fine, but this is a one-time deal. Got it?"

Nightwing nodded. "Understood. Now what do you say we got bust in there and kick some ass?"

If the mask would show a smile, Red Hood's would have been quite noticeable. "Now you're speaking my language."

Superboy now just looked pissed. "Seriously? I said I was ready to go fight like five minutes ago! So, for the love of god, can we just get on with it?"

The Kryptonian's question was answered by everyone but himself pulling out a grappling line and firing it across the street. Four young men swung over the pavement below, crashing through the fourth floor window, just as Bruce had instructed. Once all four were across their super-powered teammate jumped over to join them. Once he was back with his team, Superboy rescanned the hotel with his infra-red vision.

"I've got nine heat signatures in what looks like a conference room two floors above us. Seems Batman's blue prints are out of date."

While the quintet was planning their course of action they were set upon by three Talons who burst out of the hotel rooms to surround them. Thinking quickly Superboy picked up Hawkeye and threw him at the lone Talon behind the group. Thomas connected his feet to the Talon's head, causing the assassin to drop to the ground. With a momentary gap in their attackers Thomas motioned for the three Batman protégés to leave.

"We'll handle the Talons. You guys get to that meeting!"

Nightwing nodded as he moved, wincing slightly at the pain in his leg from the previous night's attack. The momentary thought that he should have listened to Alfred about not going out flashed through his head. But the thought quickly passed as he, Robin, and Red Hood made their way to the stairs.

The Talons on the other end of the group pursued the trio, but were held at bay by Hawkeye and Superboy.

* * *

**6** **th** **Floor Conference Room**

"What is our next step?" A middle aged man in a black suit looked to the eldest in the room, his eyes hardly visible behind the white owl mask that adorned his face.

"I do not know." The elderly woman stared around the room, looking into the eyes of the other members of their group. "We set out to take Gotham back from the Batman. To make The Court the legend of this city it had always been."

The middle age man spoke up again. "But where did we go wrong? Did we underestimate his capabilities?"

The elderly woman shot the man a withering glare, but no reply could be managed as the door to the room was kicked in, revealing a man in a brown jacket and a red helmet.

"Well, I'd say you definitely didn't take into account the outside help." Red Hood's jab was punctuated by him raising his pistols. No one moved as he pondered which one to take out first. To his left, a younger man moved to grab a throwing knife, but found his hand impaled by one of Robin's birdarangs. He held his bleeding hand in shock while Robin drew out of the shadows while Nightwing did the same from the other side of the room. Seeing the three heroes caused the elder to play the only card the Court had left. Her shrill voice sounded throughout the room.

"Now!"

Jason, Tim, and Dick watched in horror as the members of the Court of Owls all started choking, grasping their throats involuntarily for air. In a matter of seconds, each and every one of them fell forward. Their heads cracked on the table with a sickening sound. Dick sprang forward to examine one.

"Damn."

Tim raised an eyebrow at his brother's frustrated expression. "Poison capsule?"

Dick nodded. "Yeah, looks like they all had one in one of their molars. Hydrogen Cyanide by the looks of it."

Jason holstered his pistols. "Well, since that's settled I am out of here. See you boys around."

As Red Hood moved to the window and took out his grappling line Dick grabbed his arm. "Jay, you should come back with us to the manor."

"And why is that? So Batman can lock me up?"

Dick smiled. "No, I was thinking Agent A could give you some of his cookies."

The mentioned of Alfred and his wondrous baking gave Jason pause, but he shook his head. "Keep some on you next time you're out on the town. I'll snag 'em from you then. Tell A I said hi."

Dick dropped his arm from Jason's as the younger man readied his line. Hawkeye and Superboy walked into the room carrying the three Talons. Jason turned his head to face the two.

"Peace out, fuckers."

With his latest profanity filled one-liner Jason Todd took off into the night, while the others watched from the hotel room with the dead and unconscious bodies. Tim looked around the room.

"So, who's reporting this mess to Batman?"

* * *

**Gotham Harbor  
10 minutes later**

Jason Todd took off his helmet, setting it on the mannequin near the door of his apartment. He crashed onto the couch after flipping on the TV to the news. He sighed when he saw G. Gordon Godfrey reporting yet again on the failure of the Justice League. Sure, he hated them with a fiery passion, but he did know a lot of them personally. As he replayed the events of the night in his head, playing the hero with Dick and the replacement, Jason couldn't help a feeling of regret. He'd come back to life and not even given them a heads up. But the regret passed as he sat on the couch, thoughts of the future taking up more and more space.

* * *

**\- Fin**


End file.
